The Order Guide: 2012 Jetta TDI

I had the opportunity to drive the latest diesel Jetta from Toronto to Winnipeg, looking for that claimed 1,000 km per tank.

And I did get it, technically speaking. Between Jackson, Mich. and Wisconsin Dells, Wis. the average stayed on 5.5 litres per 100 km for quite some time. With a 55-litre tank, that’s 1,000 km per tank.

Then Minnesota happened. As soon as I crossed into Minnesota at St. Paul, speed limits started to rise, from 65 mph in Wisconsin to 70 in Minnesota to 75 in North Dakota. When we pulled in to St. Cloud, Minn. for the night, the average had started to rise, hitting 6.5 litres per 100 km.

Still, 6.5 litres per 100 km, at Interstate speeds, is darn good. Even the 7 litres per 100 km it settled out at is nothing to sneeze at. And because it’s a diesel, the benefits occur for both city and highway driving — unlike hybrids, which get the most benefit in stop-and-go city driving and generally lose their advantage after even a short time on the highway.

In the latest test, the TDI in the driveway now is running an average of 8.2 litres per 100 km. And that’s in the city. Getting below 10 in the city, in a family-sized car, is significant.

If you’re dismissing diesel because you remember the smell and the noise, don’t. They don’t stink and there are only a few times, generally when the engine is lugging, do you even perceive that it’s not a gasoline engine. The rub is this: the fuel is more expensive, at times 10 cents per litre, or 10 per cent. But even compared to an optimistic 10 l/100km gas engine, my average is about 20 per cent better. Against our minivan’s 12.8 average, it’s closer to 45 per cent.

The Road Trip Pick

As much as the Direct Sequential Gearbox (DSG) six-speed automated manual transmission represents the sportiest auto-shifting box you’ll find, in daily driving I find it a bit difficult to live with. Engine braking on deceleration feels a bit like grabby brakes and stopping and starting aren’t as smooth as a conventional automatic transmission. The DSG is by far the best choice you could make if you were buying for performance, but personally, I think the buttery smooth six-speed manual is my preference.

I will qualify my comment by saying that if I leave the DSG in manual mode, it becomes more livable for daily driving, since it doesn’t automatically invoke downshifts on deceleration. But I also like to row my own and use my left leg when doing so. Opting for the stick also saves $1,400 over the DSG.

I also chose the multimedia package at $1,300. I figure if you’re going to have a car this economical to drive, it might stand to reason you’d like to drive it places you haven’t been, so the navigation system will come in handy. Plus, $1,300 is one of the least expensive factory combinations including nav that I’ve seen. It includes an iPod interface, integrated satellite radio, touch screen and six-disc changer, Bluetooth hands-free and steering wheel audio controls.

I also opted for the Comfortline trim. I get most of the toys I want (heated seats, heated windshield washer nozzles, heated exterior mirrors) and save on some of the toys I don’t want (leather seats).